Chapter 26 Gathering survivors – Arianna

Arianna watched as Cassis filled in the rest of the group about the monster frenzy, calling it a revelation from Sapphire. It was still strange to hear that name spoken as if it belonged to someone else—like some mysterious, all-knowing entity rather than herself.

Shrugging off the thought, she grasped the blue gem hanging from her necklace and resumed meditating, pulling in the lingering mana from the air. She would need every bit of strength she could muster for their plan to work.

The others listened with tense expressions. Fear flickered in their eyes, but it didn’t paralyze them. If anything, it only hardened their resolve. Ben, in particular, gripped his baseball bat tightly, his knuckles white.

“I should talk to them too,” he said. “The people in this neighborhood know me. If they hear my voice, they’ll trust the warning.”

Cassis nodded. “Good idea. The more familiar voices, the better.”

With the plan agreed upon, they pressed forward toward the wide avenue in front of the school. Even from a distance, Arianna could see the shadowy figures of monsters moving among the abandoned cars and debris. Growls and hissing noises filled the air as the creatures noticed them.

Then, the first groups charged.

The fight was relentless. Even though they were stronger than before, the sheer number of monsters made it difficult to avoid injuries. Arianna stayed close to the group while fighting herself, watching as cuts, bruises, and deeper wounds formed on her allies. The mages, relying heavily on Magic Missile in the middle of their group, were starting to wear down.

Arianna rushed to a warrior whose arm was bleeding heavily from a gnash in his bicep. She pressed her palm against the wound, sending a burst of warm light into the skin. It wasn’t a full heal, but enough to keep him moving. That was all she could afford right now.

Little by little, they pushed forward, fighting through the monstrous horde until, finally, the avenue was clear.

Breathing heavily, they turned toward the small house beside the high school. Cassis stepped up to the door and knocked firmly.

“Sinu! It’s Cassis.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then, the door cracked open just enough for a pair of cautious eyes to peek through. When Sinu saw Cassis standing there, his expression shifted from suspicion to relief.

The door swung wide open, and the large man pulled Cassis into a firm hug, clapping him on the back. “Cassis, my man! So that announcement really was about you. Didn’t take you for a fighter, but damn, I’m glad you’re here. Come in.”

They stepped inside, where the warmth of a lived-in home stood in contrast to the chaos outside. Sinu’s wife, Kate, stood with their three children—two of whom were teenagers. The teens hesitated before greeting Cassis with a polite, “Hello, Mr. Walker.”

Cassis gave them a small smile before addressing the family. He explained everything—the approaching frenzy, the danger of staying here, and their plan to gather survivors in a defensible location.

Sinu rubbed his chin. “I don’t know about some deity, but I believe you. You’re the reason our youngest is going to survive, after all. He’s only 10.” He exhaled heavily before shaking his head. “But this house won’t hold. The walls are thin, and there’s not enough space. If we’re bringing more people together, the gymnasium is a better bet. The walls are thick, and while there are three entrances, the windows are high enough that monsters shouldn’t get in from there.”

Arianna exchanged a glance with Cassis. He seemed to agree.

“We’ll need to clear it and the school first,” Cassis said. “And we need to move fast. There isn’t much time left”

They quickly formed a new plan: Cassis’s party would escort Sinu and his family while securing the gymnasium and school. The second group, led by Susan, would sweep the surrounding streets, eliminating as many monsters as possible while looking for survivors.

“When you hear my announcement,” Cassis told them, “that’s your cue to start bringing people in. But don’t wait too long. When the mana in the air shifts, you need to be back here immediately.”

“How will we know when it shifts?” one of the warriors asked.

Cassis’s expression darkened. His voice was steady, but Arianna could see the weight of his memories pressing down on him. “You’ll know,” he said simply. Then, after a beat, he added, “At least, according to Sapphire.”

Arianna squeezed his hand gently, grounding him. He glanced at her and gave a small squeeze in return—silent thanks.

The plan was set.

Now, they just had to survive long enough to see it through.

Arianna stood in the gymnasium with Cassis and Sinu’s family, exhaling in relief. Clearing the school had been easier than expected—only a few weak F-rank monsters had been lurking inside. Now, with Sinu, Kate, and their three children safe, they had to focus on securing the space.

Cassis directed the group as they dragged thick sports mats and heavy gym equipment to barricade two of the three entrances to the gymnasium. It wouldn’t hold forever, but it would at least slow the monsters down if they tried to break in.

Once everything was secured, Cassis took the amplifier from her—a small, round piece of metal inscribed with delicate runes. It barely weighed anything, yet its function was undeniable.

“We should make the announcement from outside,” Cassis said. “If monsters hear it, they’ll come for us instead of the gym.”

Arianna nodded. Together, they left the gymnasium, leaving Helen, Marcus, and Danielle behind to guard the people inside in case something slipped past them.

They made their way through the school grounds and onto the main avenue. The streets were eerily empty—too empty. The silence was unnerving, but Arianna knew it wouldn’t last.

Cassis took a deep breath, then activated the amplifier. His voice rang out, amplified across multiple streets.

**“Everybody in this neighborhood, please listen carefully. My name is Cassis Walker. I’m here with Arianna Sloane and Ben Ranislav. We were warned about a coming monster rampage by our patron deity, Sapphire, who has already helped us survive and achieve the world announcement.

We have secured the high school gymnasium and ask you to come here to seek shelter. I know the streets are still full of monsters, but we will be out there shortly to escort you back. Another party with our friends is already doing that.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

If you cannot make it to us, secure your home and hide. I hope you survive.”**

He handed the amplifier to Ben.

Ben hesitated for a second, then lifted it to his lips. ** “I’m Ben Ranislav, and I live in this neighbourhood. Some of you might know me. Please, come to the high school. It’s safer here than at home. Mr. Walker and his group will protect us.” **

When he finished, he handed the amplifier back to Arianna with a slight shudder. “I’ve never liked talking in front of people.”

Arianna smiled. “You did great.”

She wanted to say more, but a chorus of guttural roars interrupted her.

The sound of their broadcast had drawn attention. The streets, once still, now buzzed with movement. Dozens of monsters had begun converging toward them, attracted by the noise.

Cassis and Arianna exchanged a look. No words were needed.

“Ben get back to the gymnasium and tell the others to stand by,” Cassis ordered.

Ben looked ready to argue, but Cassis fixed him with a firm stare—the kind that brooked no room for debate. Ben swallowed, nodded, and ran back toward the gym.

That left just the three of them.

Arianna tightened her grip on her mace. Cassis and Liam unsheathed their swords.

Then, they ran into the streets.

They moved fast, clearing a path as they went. The monsters came in waves—mutated dogs, bloated rat-like creatures, and shambling humanoid abominations like kobolds and goblins. Cassis’s sword flashed as he cut through them, Liam was less practiced but had become quite proficient with cutting down the monsters. Meanwhile Arianna crushed skulls with her mace, raw power flowing through her limbs.

They had become a well-oiled machine. When Cassis struck, Liam and Arianna covered his back. When Arianna pushed forward, the other two kept pace.

Between fights, they knocked on doors and shouted for survivors. Some people peeked out cautiously, afraid to trust them. Others hesitated, unwilling to leave their homes. But many more ran toward them, gripping makeshift weapons, carrying children, desperate for safety.

Whenever they gathered a small group, they escorted them toward the school entrance before plunging back into the fray.

They saw flashes of movement down side streets—Susan’s party doing the same thing. The plan was working.

Then, they came across a house that made Arianna’s heart clench.

It was a two-story home with a shattered window on the first floor. Blood stained the doorstep.

The door creaked open, revealing a teenage girl with wide, tear-streaked eyes. She gasped at the sight of them.

“Mr. Walker!” she cried, desperation thick in her voice.

Cassis stepped forward immediately, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Janice. I’m glad you’re safe. What’s wrong?”

Her breath hitched. “Mr. Walker… please help. My parents… my parents are dead, but I need to get my siblings to the school.”

She was shaking, but she stood tall, holding herself together for the sake of those behind her. Four children peeked out from behind her.

Two teenage boys – twins – nodded at Cassis, murmuring, “Mr. Walker.” The other two were much younger—one looked around ten, the other a toddler no older than three.

Arianna felt a lump in her throat.

“We’re getting them out of here,” Cassis said, his voice steady.

Janice scooped up the ten-year-old boy, and one of her brothers carefully picked up the toddler. Then, together, they ran.

The second they hit the streets, Arianna felt the mana shift.

The air grew thick, pressing down on her like an invisible weight. Her breath hitched, and she turned to Cassis.

He met her gaze and gave a small nod. He felt it too. The frenzy was about to start.

They needed to run faster. But the teenagers struggled to keep pace with them, burdened by the younger children. The monsters noticed.

Before, their Monster Bane I titles had kept them from drawing too much attention. But now, carrying defenseless survivors, they stood out like a beacon.

The monsters rushed them.

Cassis, Liam and Arianna fought as they ran, slashing and smashing anything that got too close. Janice and her brothers pushed forward, their breathing ragged as they clutched the little ones.

It felt endless. Every street they turned onto held more creatures. The school felt so far away. But they kept going.

Finally, the gymnasium came into view. Fighters stood at the entrance, waving at them.

They ran full-speed through the open entrance. The other group of unknown fighter engaged with the monsters still chasing them.

Arianna skidded to a stop, panting. She looked up—and her breath caught in her throat.

The gymnasium was packed.

Hundreds of people were crammed inside. Survivors huddled in tight clusters; eyes wide with fear. Fighters stood at the barricaded entrances, weapons drawn, ready to defend their fragile sanctuary.

She counted quickly. At least 300 people.

They had saved more than she had expected.

But the second party still wasn’t back.

Cassis stood beside her, tense, scanning the gymnasium. He looked toward the gym doors, his expression unreadable.

They didn’t have much time left. The mana in the air thickened further. Arianna tightened her grip on her mace.

The frenzy was about to begin. And the others were still out there.

The tension inside the gymnasium was thick, pressing down on everyone like an invisible weight. The air buzzed with anxious murmurs as the survivors huddled together, their gazes flicking toward the barricaded entrances.

Arianna, Cassis and Liam barely had time to catch their breath before Helen and Ben approached, taking charge of Janice and her siblings. Ben gave the teenage boys a nod, familiarity in his expression.

“I know them from school,” he told Arianna quietly. “I’ll help them settle in.”

Helen smiled reassuringly at Janice, leading her and the younger children toward a quieter corner of the gym. “We’ll take care of them.”

Liam went to find his parents to update them.

With that settled, Arianna and Cassis finally sat down against the cool floor of the gymnasium, exhaling deeply.

Arianna clutched her necklace and closed her eyes, slipping into meditation. She let the residual mana in the air flow into her body, refilling the reserves she had drained throughout the recent fights. Across from her, Cassis did the same, gripping the hilt of his sword as he steadied his breathing.

They had gathered so many people. But they weren’t safe yet.

Arianna wasn’t sure how long they had been resting when the first monstrous roar shattered the fragile silence. A tremor of fear rippled through the gathered survivors. Children whimpered. Some adults clutched weapons tighter.

Then, more roars echoed through the streets, overlapping into a deafening chorus.

Arianna’s eyes snapped open. The frenzy had begun.

She and Cassis pushed to their feet at the same time, exchanging a knowing look before striding toward the gymnasium’s entrance. Several fighters were already standing guard, their knuckles white around their weapons.

They stepped outside, the cool air carrying the thick, metallic scent of blood.

That’s when they saw them. The second party was running toward them, a cluster of survivors in their middle.

And behind them—

Monsters.

Dozens of them, eyes burning red, their bodies quivering with uncontrollable hunger. They had fully succumbed to the frenzy. It was a desperate escape.

The second party fought as they ran, hacking down monsters that got too close, but more kept coming.

Arianna and Cassis didn’t hesitate.

“Move!” Cassis ordered, sprinting forward.

Arianna followed at his heels, some of the stationed fighters running with them. They had to reach them before the monsters did.

Halfway down the street, they finally met the fleeing group.

“Keep running!” Arianna shouted at them.

Susan, at the front of the group, gave a curt nod, leading the survivors toward the school.

Arianna and Cassis turned to meet the monsters head-on.

The impact was immediate.

The frenzied creatures threw themselves at them with reckless abandon, clawing and snapping, with no sense of self-preservation. A mutated hyena lunged at a fighter, its teeth clamping down on his arm. The man screamed.

Cassis cut the beast down in a single, fluid motion, freeing the fighter before it could tear his limb off completely.

Arianna rushed to him, pouring healing energy into the wound. It wasn’t perfect, but it reattached his almost severed arm stopped the bleeding enough for him to keep fighting.

Another wave of monsters charged. They barely had time to catch their breath before being forced into another brutal clash.

Frenzied monsters were stronger—faster, more vicious, unrelenting. They didn’t hesitate. They didn’t retreat. They only attacked, mindlessly driven by hunger and the need to kill.

Arianna ducked as a clawed beast swiped at her head, retaliating with a crushing swing of her mace. The impact sent the monster sprawling, but another immediately leaped into its place.

Every time they cut one down, two more appeared.

Slowly, they began falling back toward the school. They had to make it back before they were overwhelmed.

Arianna kept her magic focused on healing the worst injuries, her movements precise, efficient. She couldn’t afford to waste mana.

Another fighter stumbled.

A monster lunged—

Cassis intercepted it, slicing through its throat before it could finish its attack.

Another roar—more creatures pouring from the side streets, sensing the chaos.

Arianna’s breath was ragged. They were almost there.

One last push—

They broke through.

Stumbling back through the school gates, they slammed the doors shut behind them. The stationed fighters immediately took over, weapons raised as they formed a defensive line.

Arianna staggered into the gymnasium, her heart hammering in her chest.

They had made it. Now they just needed to last an hour.